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My family is thinking about starting in Northern California and heading up the coast to Portland. I would like to know if anyone has a route to take up the coast that is scenic and entertaining. It is hubby, me and 14 yr old son. We like scenic views and tourist attractions. We expect to spend 10 nights. We hope to travel over the 4th of July, so if you know a good spot to see fireworks, that would be great too. Thanks!

Taking 101 is lovely and certainly a lot more scenic than I-5. I personally think Newport is the ideal town to stay in on the coast if you have kids, because it has a lot of cool attractions (the aquarium, the haunted light house, the Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum) and it's big enough that you have a good selection of hotels/motels to choose from. When I was a kid, my parents took us there to stay in a rental house for a week overlooking the beach and it was one of the best vacations ever, maybe even better than the time we drove down to Disneyland. Seaside is a close second in terms of kid-friendly amenities. I'd stay on 101 until you get close to Portland, then head inland over the mountains. I know zippo about fireworks on the coast, though, so hopefully someone else will chime in. I'm sure Portland has an awesome display, though.